Population Decline: Korea That Assisted Edo In Building Smart Schools Is Having 49 Schools Close Down Due to Lack Of New Intakes
The Oasis Reporters
February 27, 2025
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In 2021, the Edo State Government and the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) commenced the construction of a Model Smart School at Abudu in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of the state.
The team from the Korean government who were in Benin City on a two-day visit to ascertain the level of readiness of the Edo State Government towards following through with implementation of the project, expressed satisfaction with the government’s support and input in the project.
The Model Smart School is being constructed in partnership with the Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and the Universal Basic Education Commission, (UBEC).
Barely four years after in 2025, 49 schools in Korea are to close amid population decline.
It is a sharp case of a society that is not regenerating itself through procreation because wealth is being pursued and the people are having little or no time to love each other by procreating.
In a report by Lee Hae-rin, we learn that more elementary, middle and high schools in Korea are set to close this year due to the declining school-age population amid the country’s low birthrate.
Among them, 43 schools, or 88 percent of the total 49, were located in provinces away from the capital, according to education ministry data submitted to Rep. Jin Sun-mee of the Democratic Party of Korea, Sunday.
The figure is overwhelmingly higher than the number of schools closing annually in each city and province over the past five years.
The number of schools closed in 2020 reached 33, then went down to 24 in 2021, 25 in 2022 and 22 in 2023, before bouncing back to 33 last year.
By region, none of the closing schools were in Seoul, while six were in Gyeonggi Province. South Jeolla Province topped the regions with 10 schools planned to shut down, followed by South Chungcheong Province with nine, North Jeolla Province with eight and Gangwon Province with seven schools. Busan had two and Daegu had one school to close.
By school level, 38 out of the 49 schools scheduled to close were elementary schools, accounting for the overwhelming majority, while eight were middle schools and three were high schools.
The story of Korea is shockingly sad, and if this is not stemmed by encouraging young people to love and have babies, the society may drift gradually into extinction.
Greg Abolo with The Korea Times
